Ecclectique, thanks for your VERY helpful analysis.
And for the helpful vocabulary: "image wandering"...that's exactly what it is! The pianist strikes the note and you hear it left center, but then it spreads out, sometimes to the left and right, sometimes just to the right. Similarly with sax or coronet. When this happens with most of the instruments in the music, the soundstage is reverberating within itself. (There does seem to be more focus with high impact, high frequency sounds like snare drum and high hat.)
Not surprisingly, this quality is less a negative with orchestral work...probably because it simulates some of the reverberation in a concert hall. But for jazz it is crazy-making.
My rectifier (stock) is Sovtek 5AR4. It says "Made in Russia" and "04 04" on it, the latter being the production date I suppose. Looks like it's "Bye bye Sovtek!"
So I've read your glowing endorsement for the Philips Miniwatt GZ34, Made in Holland, 1957 as the best. At $350 it should be. Does one really need to spend that kind of $$ to make the Chenin sing? Are any of the $100 NOS up to the task? Where would you say the point of diminishing returns is?
I'm ready to take the next step.
Thx, John
PS - Oh, in answer to your question. The image wandering is for both CD and phono, but it is more pronounced with phono (maybe cause the sound is going though more tubes?).
And for the helpful vocabulary: "image wandering"...that's exactly what it is! The pianist strikes the note and you hear it left center, but then it spreads out, sometimes to the left and right, sometimes just to the right. Similarly with sax or coronet. When this happens with most of the instruments in the music, the soundstage is reverberating within itself. (There does seem to be more focus with high impact, high frequency sounds like snare drum and high hat.)
Not surprisingly, this quality is less a negative with orchestral work...probably because it simulates some of the reverberation in a concert hall. But for jazz it is crazy-making.
My rectifier (stock) is Sovtek 5AR4. It says "Made in Russia" and "04 04" on it, the latter being the production date I suppose. Looks like it's "Bye bye Sovtek!"
So I've read your glowing endorsement for the Philips Miniwatt GZ34, Made in Holland, 1957 as the best. At $350 it should be. Does one really need to spend that kind of $$ to make the Chenin sing? Are any of the $100 NOS up to the task? Where would you say the point of diminishing returns is?
I'm ready to take the next step.
Thx, John
PS - Oh, in answer to your question. The image wandering is for both CD and phono, but it is more pronounced with phono (maybe cause the sound is going though more tubes?).